I checked my Blackberry towards the end of dinner with an overseas colleague, and it was gently suggested this might be anti-social behavior. This sparked an interesting discussion, where I gave my usual pitch as to being more productive and available by checking email constantly. But its truly an interesting question.
Do human interactions need to be exclusive, or can I "double date", so to speak? I get a call from a colleague during a meeting that to can't take, so I email back "what's up?". I can get a request for tech help, and forward it without speaking to anyone, all while attending a kids soccer game or ordering a burger at a diner. I may be fooling myself, but I truly do believe I am more productive because of my Blackberry.
As to the answer to this question, in part this comes down to the expectation of social company. Baby boomer's single-task, and expect undivided attention. GenX/GenY grew up with IM, and accept multitasking.
If your kid looks up from a soccer game, and your typing on your Blackberry, will they say "Dad's multitasking" or not? However, I bet I'll be at more soccer games than the previous generation.
Jon Williams is a New York CTO, a technology networker, and an Australian-American. Email jon at jonwilliams.com
its all about priorities & timing jon - checking your bb during breaks in play so that you can focus on your kids while they're playing is the trick...
ReplyDeletei too have had some legacy minded folks in the work environment state that they don't want to see blackberries in their meetings - problem is that all other work stops for them - they need to feel like the single focus of all in attendance instead of trusting that their employees/coworkers can get multiple tasks done concurrently via technology - the etiquette is knowing when play is stopped...